Rug-tufting machine



Dec. 16, 1930. A. s. RIVIERE 1,785,650

RUG TUFTING MACHINE Filed July 10, 1928 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 16, 1930. A. s. RIVIERE 1,785,650

RUG TUFTING MACHINE Filed July 10, 1928 s she t sheet 2 NW 2 IJIIWH mi /T" Wm M v Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNIT-E15 S'IEATES PATENT; OFFICE ALBERT S. RIVIERE, OF]

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS RUG-TUFTING MACHINE Application filed July 1o,

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a sewing machine, and more particularly to a sewing machine which is adapted to make rugs by tufting a fabric base.

An object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine with devices whereby the needle thread between consecutive is formed into relatively long loops which are severed so as to produce a tuft from the needle thread, which is firmly secured to the fabric by the interlocking of said needle thread between the severed ends thereof with the stitches formed by the needle and a complemental stitch forming device. V

A further object of the invention is to providea machine of the above type wherein the needle is vibrated laterally between consecutive stitches so as to stagger the formed tufts in the lineof stitching.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type with the combined forming and severing plate over which the thread between consecutive stitches is placed, said severing portion thereof being disposed so that the feed of the fabric will carry the formed loop onto the severing device and sever the thread.

A still further object of the invention is, to provide a machine of the above type with a device for laying the formed tufts in one line of stitching away from the stitching mechanism during the formation of another line of stitching placed close to the first line of stitching, so that the formed tufts will not interfere with the formation of the new stitches and new tufts.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention:

Figure l is a front View of a portion of the machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the throat plate showing the pressure foot and the mechanism associated therewith in side elevation.

stitches 1928. Serial No. 291,550.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in plan showing a portion of the work support, the presser foot and the devices associated therewith.

Fig. 3a is a perspective view of the former and severing plate removed from the machine.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view partly in section showing more or less diagrammatically the formation of the loop between consecutive stitches. I

Fig. 6 is a similar view but showing the loop moved rearwardly by the feed until it is severed.

Fig. 7 is a view in plan showing more or less diagrammatically the former and'the severing member with the loops thereon, and showing the point where the loops are sevvered.

Fig. '8 is an enlarged view showing more or less diagrammatically in section a portion of a rug made on the machine.

The invention is directed broadly to a sewing machine which is constructed so as to produce a rug by tufting a fabric base. The machine includes in the present embodiment of the invention, a needle which is reciprocated and which is vibrated laterally between consecutive stitches, in any well known way. Cooperating with the needle beneath the work support is a looper which concatenates a looper thread with the needle thread beneath the fabric. A loop retainer is used in the present machine, and the loop er oscillates back and forth in a fixed path while the needle is moved laterally, thus forming a series of zig-zag stitches.

' Associated with the presser foot is a loop former. This loop former is fixed to the presser foot and lies between the paths of reciprocation of the needle. In consecutive stitches, the needle goes down first one side of the former and then the other side of the former. This lays the needle thread between successive stitches over the former and forms a'- loop therein, while the needle thread is inte locked with the loopcr thread so as to min y secured to the fabric base. These formed loops are fed rearwardly off from the forming portion of this member lying between the paths of reciprocation of the needle, onto a severing portion thereof which cuts the loop midway'between the ends thereof, and thus it is that the tufts are formed.

Referring more in detail to-the drawings, the invention is shown in a sewing machine wherein the needle is vibrated laterally between consecutive stitches. The machine is shown only in part, and is of the type disclosed in the patent granted C. G. Kramer No. 739,550, dated Sept. 22, 1903. Any other type of sewing machine might be used where the needle is given a lateral movement between consecutive stitches.

The needle is illustrated at 1 in the drawings. This needle is carried by a needle bar 2, which is reciprocated by a needle lever 3. The needle bar 2 is mounted for reciprocation in a gate 4 which in turn is attached to the needle head of the machine, so'that it may be swung laterally and thus position the needle bar so that the needle will reciprocate first in one lateral position and then in another lateral position.

Cooperating with the needle beneath the work support is a looper 5 which is preferably of a thread carrying type, and associated with the looper is a loop retainer (3. This complemental stitch forming mechanism is in a general way shown in the patent granted R. G. Woodward on July 12, 1904, No. 765,120. In this Woodward patent the .looper and retainer operate in conjunction with three needles, while in the present machine they cooperate witha laterally vibrated needle, the retainer insuring a proper stitch formation regardless of the fact that the looper oscillates in a fixed path whereas the needle is vibrated laterally, and thus reciprocates first in one path and then the other relative to the looper. The complemental stitch forming mechanism may be widely varied.

The essential features of the stitch forming mechanism employed reside in the needle carrying a needle thread which is locked by a looper thread so that the needle thread is firmly secured to a fabric base.

The material is fed across the work support by a feed dog 7 which may be of any desired construction. Cooperating with this feed dog 7 is a presser foot 8. The presser foot 8 is carried by a presser bar 9 and includes a foot portion which is cut away as indicated at 10. Attached to the presser foot 8 is a plate 11. The plate 11 is secured to the presser foot at the rear thereof by suitable screws 12, 12. It is also secured to the presser foot adjacent the forward end thereof by a screw 13. The'presser foot adjacent the forward end of the plate projects beneath the plate so that.the forward end of the plate overlies and rests on' the foot. The presser foot is formed with a raised portion 14. into which the screw 13 is threaded. The side face of this raised portion formsa vertical wall against which the forward end of the plate is clamped. This, together with the rightangled bend in the plate for the attachment of the plate to the foot through the aid of the screws 12, 12, makes a very firm support for the plate. This plate is provided with a cut away portion 14 at one side thereof, and a cut away portion 15 at the other side thereof. The needle in one of its reciprocations passes alongside of the plate in the cut away portion 14, and at the next reciprocation it passes alongside of the plate in the cut away portion 15. 4 The thread between consecutive stitches, therefore, is laid over this plate which becomes aformer for forming thread loops between consecutive stitches. As the feed of the machine moves the fabric base in which the stitches are formed rearwardly, these loops are slid along the former. The portion 17 of the upper edge of the former which lies between. the needle paths inclines downwardly slightly in rear of the needle, so that the loops will be fed along the former by the feed of the machine which moves the points where the loops are attached to .the fabric by the moving of the fabric.

The upper edge 18 of the plate is beveled and sharpened so as to form a severing edge. This upper edge inclines upwardly toward the rear of the machine, and therefore, as the loops are fed oif from the forming portion of the plate, they will be fed against-this severing portion, and the loop will be cut at a point intermediate the stitches where the .thread is anchored.

From the above it will be apparent that when the machine is operated a line of stitches will be formed in a fabric base wherein the thread between stitches is formed into loops, and the thread of the loop severed. These loops may be of any desired length, dependmg on the height of the former on which the loops are formed.

In Fig. 8 of the drawings, the fabric base is indicated at F. The needle thread is indicated at f.- Thls needle thread'is locked beneath the fabric base by a looper thread. The

needle thread passes down through the fabric base where it is secured to the base by the looper thread, and when the loop is severed there is formed a strand with a ragged edge which extends outwardly away from the base. It is these extending strands with the ragged ends that form the rug face of the fabric base. After a line of stitching has been formed wherein the tufts are staggered in a row, then the fabric is again passed through the sewing machine and a second line of tufting formed close to the first row of tufting. This is continued untilthe entire fabric base is covered with the lines of tufting. In order to prevent the formed tufts from interfering with the stitch formation when the adjacent row of tufts is being formed, I have provided the presser foot with a guide 19. This guide is illustrated in the form of a wire clamped to the shank of the presser foot by a screw 20. The wire extends around in front ofthe foot and then alongside of the foot at the left thereof, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4. This wire will engage the formed line of tufts and guide the tufts away from the path of the needle, as clearly shown in Fig. 4:. v

To assist in the feeding of the fabric, the feed dog has a feeding section 7a which is disposed at one side of the presser foot. It also has feeding sections disposed beneath the presser foot and in rear of the 'presser foot. The thread plate is, of course, provided with an opening 21 of the usual type, through whiehthe needle passes during formation of the stitches.

It will be understood, of course, that the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. A rug tuftingmachine comprising a thread carrying needle, means for vibrating saidneedle laterally, a thread carrying looper cooperating with said needle, and means engaging the needle thread between consecutive reciprocations of the needle for forming loops therein and for severing the same to form tufts. 2. A rug tufting machine comprising a feeding mechanism,- a thread carrying needle,

a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle, means for moving the needle laterally between consecutive stitches, a former located between the paths of reciprocation of the needle over which the needle thread is laid between consecutive stitches, and

means for severing the loops after they are formed so as to form tufts.

3. A rug tufting machine comprising a feed mechanism, a presser foot cooperating with the feeding mechanism, a thread carrying needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle, means for moving the needle laterally between consecutive stitches, a plate secured to the presser foot and disposed between the consecutive paths of reciprocation of the needle, said plate having its upper edge shaped so as to provide a former over which the needle thread between consecutive stitches is laid, and also shaped so as to provide a severing device for cutting said loops as they are fed rearwardly away from the stitching point.

4. A rug tufting machine comprising a '7 feeding mechanism, a presser foot cooperating with said feeding mechanism, a thread carrying needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle, means for moving said upper edge of the plate being inclined downwardly rearwardly of the stitching point and provided with an upwardly inclined severing edge in rear of the flat loop forming edge, which severing edge engages the loops as they are fed rearwardly on the plate by the feed of the machine for cutting said loops.

5. A rug tufting machine comprising feeding mechanism, a presser foot, :1 thread carrying needle, a thread carrying looper, means associated with the presser foot for forming loops in the needle thread between consecutive stitches and for severing the same to form tufts, and means carried by the presser foot for deflecting formed tufts away from the stitching mechanism during the formation of another line of tufts closed to the first formed line.

6. A rug tufting machine comprising a feeding mechanism, a thread carrying needle, a complemental stitch forming mechanism cooperating with the needle, means for forming loops in the needle thread between consecutive stitches, and a severing device against which said loops are moved by the feeding mechanism for the severing of the same to form tufts.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

ALBERT S. RIVIERE. 

